Lady Cougar tennis stumbles against Terriers

With the wind leaving both teams struggling to maintain control, the Lady Cougar tennis team came up short against William Byrd Thursday, 3-6.

“The conditions were less than favorable for both teams with extremely high wind gusts, however, it was something each team had to contend with,” Lady Cougar Head Coach Brandon Lawson said. “It was a good chance to learn how to compensate for wind during matches. There was a lot more to think about during the matches because of that wind. Having it at your back versus having it in your face left you dealing with it in different ways.”

The day started with doubles matches. The top-seeded team of Madeleine Hyduke and Sydney Covey lost their match by a score of 2-8. Second-seed Ella Huduke and Allyson Castle lost their match 3-8. The third-seeded team of Allyson Meek and Brooke Sutherland won their match 9-7.

The Lady Cougars finished singles action with two wins and four losses.

“We were missing our full lineup, but I still thought we had a good chance to win in the match because I know the strength and depth we have on this team,” Lawson said. “Castle got her first matches of her young career in and competed well as she moved into the lineup with Lytton out. I know she will continue to get better. The seniors on this team … Madeleine Hyduke, Meek, Covey and Sutherland … are showing such great leadership and I can see how much they want to finish their senior seasons strong. That is what you expect from your seniors and with that continued mindset only good things can come. We look forward to the opportunity to play Byrd again in a few short weeks. We will get back to work and try to turn things in our favor next time.”

The Lady Cougars will be back in action Wednesday, April 4, when they host the Christiansburg Blue Demons at 4:30 p.m.